Red-Hair Becomes an Emperor · Water 7

Marine Headquarters, Roy's Office

Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the year 1516 of the Sea Circle Calendar.

The sea remains turbulent, but the chessboard of the New World has been quietly reshaped.

The Marine Headquarters administration building is located in the corner where the sea breeze is most refreshing. In a simply furnished but imposing office, sunlight streams in through the blinds, falling on the heavy mahogany desk and the open newspaper.

The front page of the World Economy News Paper featured two striking headlines in bold boldface:

The Fourth Emperor of the Sea, Red-Haired Shanks!

[The New World is in turmoil, with Four Emperors vying for supremacy!]

Roy sat quietly in his office chair, his fingers lightly tapping the desk, his eyes calm yet turbulent.

On the sofa, Garp casually crossed his legs, a bag of Senbei in his hand, munching away as he mumbled something:

"Shanks has become emperor... I knew he would eventually rise to power, but I didn't expect it to be so soon."

He raised his chin, his eyes slightly narrowed, and his tone carried a hint of complexity.

"It seems that brat on Roger's ship... really intends to stir up trouble."

Zephyr stood by the window with his hands behind his back, his face solemn, gazing at the distant horizon.

"The times have started to go out of control."

His voice was deep, carrying the calm judgment of someone who had seen many battles. "What's even more surprising is that Kaido days recently, yet the Beasts Pirates' territory didn't even falter in the slightest."

Roy's gaze sharpened slightly as he continued, "According to the Intelligence Department, Charlotte Linlin has dispatched Katakuri, the leader of the Sweet Commanders, to the Western Border of Wano Country. Ostensibly, this is to establish a defensive connection, but in reality, it's to directly oversee the defense."

"Heh..." He smiled slightly, a cold glint Flash in his eyes, "This 'friendship' is truly touching."

Garp snorted loudly, a smirk playing on his lips. "That crazy woman? Forget about helping her, she won't even give you candy for free!"

"That's a coordinated strategy— with Red-Hair becoming emperor, she had to secure her position beforehand; with Kaido asleep, she used that opportunity to make her move."

Zephyr nodded, his gaze as cold as a knife. "If they reach a consensus in private, even if it's just a temporary alliance... the order of the New World will completely spiral out of control."

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy, as if the room had sunk to the bottom of the sea.

After a long silence, Roy closed the newspaper, his tone calm yet cutting to the chase. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku... what's your stance?"

Zephyr withdrew his gaze and turned to Roy: "Sakazuki has already set off for the G-1 Branch to oversee the New World defenses and prevent the Pirates from expanding their territory."

"Kuzan and Borsalino will also be carrying out 'Deep-Sea Operations' and 'Border Intervention Missions' respectively in the near future."

He paused here, then turned to Roy, his tone lingering, and looked at him meaningfully:

"As for you— Sengoku's original words were: ' Roy is the guide and spark of the New Generation; it is not advisable to act rashly at this time.'"

Upon hearing this, Garp immediately grinned, chewing on Senbei and teasingly mumbled, "But... you little brat, are you really going to sit obediently in the office? I have a feeling you'll probably sneak out with the kid to find some excitement?"

He smiled slyly, "Don't I know your restless nature?"

Roy smiled without saying a word, got up and walked to the French windows, gently pulling back the curtains.

On the Training Ground below, sweat glistened in the sunlight, and the shouts of the young men were powerful and resounding.

Luffy into the air with a spinning kick, Ace unleashes a burst of flames, Zoro's Three-Sword Style cuts through the wind and shadows, Kuina's figure moves like a blood-red swallow.

A galaxy of future flames is burning.

He watched quietly, his gaze warm and profound.

"I am naturally aware of the responsibilities I bear."

His tone was gentle, yet resolute. "However, a fledgling bird that hasn't experienced wind and rain will never soar into the sky!"

He turned around with a smile, his tone as gentle as the morning sun, yet revealing the sharp edge of the military spirit of the New Era:

"They want to fly higher... so I must guide them through the storm."

Grand Line, Paradise, Water 7

Galley-La Company - President's Office

The setting sun casts its rays slanting down from the top of the tower, piercing through the giant floor-to-ceiling windows and illuminating the large desk piled high with blueprints and nautical charts.

The heavy oak door creaked open, and a steel prosthetic foot slammed into the room, making a deep metallic sound.

Thump.

A man with a cyborg body entered the room, the Cola-powered core in his chest emitting a slight vibration, burning hot.

"Iceburg."

The man stopped, his voice low and impatient, his arms crossed, his brows furrowed.

"I heard you're working for the World Government now?"

He snorted coldly, a puff of steam rising from his chest, his voice filled with gritted teeth, "This is SUPER—it's infuriating!!"

Behind his desk, Iceburg slowly raised his head, his eyes behind his gold-rimmed Glasses filled with a complex and heavy expression.

He remained silent for a long time before taking out a roll of meticulously preserved drawings from the drawer—slightly yellowed and with worn corners.

Gently push it to the table.

"This is... the design blueprints for Pluton."

--At that moment, time seemed to stand still.

Katie Fram's pupils dilated violently. He stepped forward and slammed his hand on the table. "What do you mean?! This is something Mr. Tom left behind!!"

"Recently, World Governments have been monitoring me more and more closely,"

Iceburg spoke slowly, pausing for a moment before revealing a rare look of exhaustion. "I... can only entrust it to you."

"Take it with you when you leave Water 7."

"Stop using the name 'Kati Fram'."

"Are you kidding me?!"

"I've suffered so much and shed so much blood for this armor—all to protect this place!!"

"I will never leave Mr. Tom's 'Water 7'!"

With a powerful slam, he slammed his fist onto the table, the Iron Fist embedding itself into the wood with a dull thud.

Iceburg closed his eyes, and a tear silently slid down his cheek.

"You're still alive, that's... wonderful."

Katie Fram stiffened slightly, a complex expression appearing on her face.

A few seconds later, he grabbed the blueprints from the table, turned his back to Iceburg, and said, "Stop pretending to be so high and mighty."

"I'm not doing this for you; I'm doing it to protect Mr. Tom's dream."

"I will protect this city in my own way."

"--This is SUPER!!"

Two weeks later, in Water 7, in the backstreets of the Abandoned Shipyard...

As night fell and the air was thick with mist, the neon lights along the Harbor painted the waterways with a dazzling, mesmerizing glow.

In a corner of Water 7, a forgotten, abandoned shipyard is bustling with activity.

A bonfire blazed brightly, and a pot of fragrant sea monster soup simmered in the fire. Several people sat around it, dressed differently and with different temperaments, but they all laughed heartily, as if the hustle and bustle of the world and the flames of war had never disturbed this corner of the world.

"Wow, today's loot is really delicious!"

A burly man with a full beard lifted the whole grilled fish and took a big bite.

"Of course!"

Beside him, a two-meter-tall giant with bright blue hair, an iron nose, and wearing a floral cardigan and swim trunks, stood with his hands on his hips, laughing heartily. The firelight reflected off his triangular chin. "We wiped out that 60 million Beli Pirate in one fell swoop!"

--Katie Fram, now known as Franky.

He shouted, "Hey! Stop just eating! There's an order to eating too!!"

"SUPER-- Line up for me!!"

A deafening roar startled everyone, and they immediately sat up straight.

Franky took in many homeless people and thugs who were on the verge of starvation in the backstreets and started "Franky Family," a ship dismantling business. His main job was as a ship dismantler, and his side job was as a bounty hunter. He atoned for his sins by fighting Pirates and protecting Water 7, which Tom loved.

They are not just street thugs, but also the underground guardians of the Water 7.

To his left and right, the Square Sisters Kiwi and Mozu, dressed in flashy bikinis, were banging on the side of a pot and throwing spices while laughing and joking.

"Boss, boss! We've been working extra hard to make this stew tonight!"

"Doesn't it smell delicious?! Isn't it amazing?!"

"SUPER Fragrance!!" Franky laughed in response, giving a thumbs up.

Zanbai, standing nearby, used tongs to lift the lid of the pot, his muscles trembling with seriousness. "The pressure in the pot isn't enough; it needs to be pressed down for three minutes and fifty-seven seconds to reach its optimal flavor...!"

The twin emperor bullfish Sodom and Gomorrah were leisurely soaking in the pool behind them, with the Pirate ship's propeller still on their heads.

The burly, Power Destroyer was converting a cannon barrel he had just unloaded from the Pirate ship into a barbecue grill, muttering to himself as he tightened screws with his hands.

"This size is unreasonable; the turbocharger needs to be replaced..."

Sitting quietly in the far corner, hammering away at parts, are Cope, whose face is covered in Kopu, and the mischievous Egg, one sharpening a knife and the other mixing drinks.

Beside them, Kieho, wearing sunglasses, ate while doing a robotic dance. "Wow, tonight's so much fun!"

Meanwhile, Shuzo was solemnly keeping accounts and tallying the reward money, the abacus clicking away in his hands, when he suddenly looked up and angrily shouted, "How come we've exceeded the budget again this week?! Who bought so much perfume?!"

Everyone turned to look at Kiwi and Mozu, who blinked innocently. "We're making soup for the boss!"

"Perfume... in soup?" Shuzo forehead vein throbbed.

"... Never mind, we can always scrap a few more ships to make up for it."

Franky laughed loudly, raising his arms and exhaling a puff of Coca-Cola steam from his chest, looking incredibly heroic.

Listen up!! We, the Franky Family—

"They are the strongest, most SUPER dismantler, shipbuilder, bounty hunter, pot lid mechanic, mechanical dance troupe, backstreet junk food group, hot pot research club, and bounty fleet in Water 7-- "

"Most importantly,"

"We are the 'Shadow Guardians' of this city!"

The wind blew through the dilapidated factory buildings, causing a flag hanging on a steel frame to flutter.

It was a family crest with screws, chains, and flames as its totem, Hunting Roar in the wind.